EMBLEMA PICTA, Gould.
Painted Pinch.
Emblema picta, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1842.
T h is beautiful Finch is a native of the north-west coast of Australia, where it was procured by B . Bynoe,
Esq. The single individual sent me by that gentleman, and which I have drawn in two different positions,
was unaccompanied by any account whatever o f its habits and economy; but we may reasonably infer
from the lengthened and pointed form o f its bill, th at the kind o f food upon which it subsists will be somewhat
different from that of the other Australian Finches. My readers will not fail to observe how singular
is the disposition o f the colouring in the present bird, the under parts being extremely beautiful, while on
the upper, which is generally the most highly ornamented, a more than ordinary degree o f plainness
prevails.
Face and throat deep vermilion red ; the base of all the feathers of the throat black, giving that p a rt a
mingled appearance of black and r e d ; crown of the head, all the upper surface and wings brown ; rump
deep vermilion r e d ; tail dark brown; chest and all the under surface jet-black, the flanks numerously
spotted with white, and the centre of the abdomen dashed with deep vermilion r e d ; feet light red ; upper
mandible black, under mandible scarlet, with a triangular patch of black at the base.
The figures are o f the natural size.